


Guinevere

by DoubleDen



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alpha Arthur, Beta Merlin, F/M, Omega Guinevere, One-Sided Attraction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-10-11 13:03:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10465653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoubleDen/pseuds/DoubleDen
Summary: In the world of alphas, betas, and omegas, Guinevere is an omega servant living in the King's castle at Camelot. She begins her story by reminiscing on how she met the love of her life, Merlin, a peculiar boy at first glance who apparently knew magic! She kept his secret in exchange for his protection from lustful alphas, and through their bond, their love grew. However, everything changes one night when King Arthur, the alpha of all alphas, decides to claim her for himself. Will the very thing Guinevere dreads come to pass? After all, how can she reject her king?





	1. My King is Not My Love

I am Guinevere. And this is the story of how love changed my life. I usually stay at home in the Commons with my boyfriend, Merlin. Merlin is a beta. The beta I love. I still remember the first day I met him. It was a cool spring morning. I had gone out to pick wildflowers in the forest, as I usually do on sunny days like this. I had not gotten a quarter mile into the woods before I saw a strange young man, all alone. His frame was tall and lean with jet black hair and pale skin that contrasted so well with his hair. He wore a red bandana around his neck with a tattered brown coat and a pair of baggy pants that were tucked into his boots. “What an odd sense of fashion this fellow has…” I thought to myself. I was about to say hello when I noticed that he looked to be doing something important. Not wanting to distract him, but still being curious, I watched silently. His back was to me and he seemed to be holding something that was glowing. I couldn't see exactly what it was since his back was turned, but I could see the light emanating around him. His shoulders were hunched over whatever he was holding and he seemed to be concentrating hard on it. Then I heard him laugh as he unknowingly turned to face me. “I did it!” he said to himself. I was first taken aback by his shockingly blue eyes. Then after surveying his strangely handsome facial features, I went back to questioning why he was out alone in the woods in the first place. Now that I could get a good look, I observed what he was holding and my eyes widened in shock. He was just simply looking down at it and grinning from ear to ear. And in his hands...was a ball of fire! I gasped and the boy’s smile disappeared as he became aware that he was not alone. His ball of fire dissipated into thin air and he looked around to find me. I froze in hopes that he wouldn't see me, but he soon spotted me. Honestly, what did I expect? I wasn't exactly hiding anywhere. I was just standing behind a tree. As soon as our eyes met, I dropped my basket. We stood staring at each other in silence for a few frightening moments. Then I turned on my heel and bolted. “Wait!” I heard him call out, but I didn't stop. I made a sharp turn and ran deep into the forest. I could hear his footsteps getting closer. “How fast is this boy?!” I thought. I looked back to see how close he was and couldn't find him anywhere. I looked around frantically as I ran. Did he stop chasing me? Suddenly, my ankle caught on a root and I stumbled. As I tried to regain my balance, I felt the boy slam into me and the tackle me to the ground. I screamed and struggled to break free, “Let go of me! Don't kill me! Please, don't kill me! I swear I won't tell a soul! I mmf--!” I cried until he put a hand over my mouth. “Ssshhhh! Keep your voice down! I-I'm not going to kill you!” the boy whispered loudly. “How much did you...did you see me?” He asked warily. I removed his hand from my mouth and gasped in air. “I...I saw you perform magic! Don't you know that is illegal in the kingdom?! It's punishable by death!” I said in as low a volume as I could. I still had an incredulous look on my face, still out of breath. And the fact that such a handsome boy was on top of me wasn't helping either, despite the fact that he was a wizard. “Oh no,” he groaned, “Trust me, I know the consequences of being caught using magic. But...I was born with this power. What you saw back in the woods...I...was just trying to control it. You won't tell anyone about this, will you?” He stared at me with hopeful eyes, and as I looked up at the strange magical boy that had landed in my life, it was in that moment that I fell in love. “Um, well, I suppose I won't tell anyone...” He sighed in relief. I raised my index finger to stop him from thanking me just yet. “On one condition!” I stated. He stared in surprise. “What is it?” he inquired. I grinned. “You have to escort me back home every day from my work.” You blinked down at me. “Oh...alright. Where do you work?”  
“At the king’s palace.” I expected the shocked reaction I usually receive when I tell people where I work. But all I received as a response was, “Is that so?” I gave him a look. “What, not prestigious enough for you?” He smiled which made my heart skip a beat. “No, it's just that I work there too.” My eyes widened. “You do?” I asked. It's strange that I've never seen him at the castle before. The boy nodded. “Yes, I'm the physician’s apprentice.”  
“Oh...you work with Gaius, then!” You nodded.  
“Why haven't I seen you before today, then?” I asked. “I just arrived in Camelot yesterday,” he said in a slightly strained voice as he finally got off of me. I sat up to meet his outstretched hand. “I'm Merlin,” he said as I took his hand. His fingers wrapped gingerly around mine as he helped me up. I remember marveling at how soft his hands were. Much softer than mine, to my embarrassment. All the sewing and cooking and cleaning I do on a day-to-day basis made my hands rather calloused, but he didn't seem to mind at all. In all my years, I'd never met a gentleman that was so courteous to me, a simple servant girl. After a moment, I finally came to the realization that I was staring. And that he was still waiting for a response. Embarrassed, I quickly stammered, “M-my name is Guinevere.” Merlin smiled at me. “Guinevere...what a beautiful name. Well, it's a pleasure to be at your service, Milady” he said with a humble bow. He pressed his lips to the back of my hand which he was still holding and I almost fainted right there. How can a boy so clumsy-looking be so smooth? It must be his magic...yes, the only logical explanation here is that he put a spell on me! I was in a spell alright. A love spell of my own volition. Still, I managed to compose myself. “Th-thank you…” I said. As you started to walk me back the way I came, I spoke up, “So, Merlin, I hope you plan on finding my flower basket. I mean, really, you chase a girl all the way out to the middle of nowhere, it's the least you could do!” I joked. He chuckled, “Tell you what. If I don't return your basket by tomorrow, I'll make you an even better one, free of charge.”  
“Well, in that case, feel free to just start on my new basket,” I smiled. To this day, other than Gaius, I'm the only person that knows his magical secret.

Months later, we were at the annual festival to celebrate the prince’s birthday. Prince Arthur had invited many prestigious guests from all the surrounding kingdoms. It was my job to serve food to our guests, but I started to feel quite queasy after being surrounded by all these alphas. Being a common servant girl, I was the lowest of the low. I couldn't afford to buy suppressants like my other coworkers. And so a few of the princes looked at me with more hunger than they looked at the food with. I went out into the hall to take a break from the intensity of it all. I guess Merlin must have noticed because in a few moments, he was out there with me, standing by my side and putting his arms around me. “Are you okay?” he asked. I placed a hand on my forehead and closed my eyes. “I will be...don't worry,” I assured him. But that didn't stop him from worrying. He frowned as he watched me. Then he held my chin to make me look at him. “Guinevere, I hate to see you suffer this way…” After a long pause, Merlin abruptly stated, “Be my girlfriend.” My eyes widened. “What? Merlin, where did that come from?”  
“You've made it clear that you don't like the constant threat of being claimed by a random alpha. And I think it's also pretty clear that I've liked you from the day we met...loved you, even.” He took off the ring he wore on his pinky and slid it onto my left ring finger and I suddenly became aware of how small my hands were compared to his. “For now, wear this, to symbolize our bond. Alphas should stay away when they see this. And when you're ready, I'll make you mine. I'll mark you, Guinevere.” I just looked at Merlin, amazed at what he was doing. Taking my silence as hesitation, he began to speak again, “I may not be an alpha, Gwen, but I can make you hap--” just then, I leaned in and kissed him. His soft lips seemed to fit perfectly with mine. Merlin pulled me closer by my waist and soon took control of the kiss. He tilted his head to one side and slid his tongue between my parted lips. He gently explored my mouth and our tongues danced to the music of the festival fireworks that went off in the sky. When we pulled apart, we were breathless. “So I take it that's a yes, then?” he teased. I just laughed and closed my eyes, pressing my forehead against his, feeling the warmth of his skin, and just reveling in the moment. Life was perfect.

It's been a few years since that day. Prince Arthur is now King Arthur of Camelot after pulling out Excalibur from the sacred stone. And I've gotten an upgrade of sorts, too. I've been promoted a few times in the castle and now I'm the King’s personal servant. It seems that the King took a liking to me over the past couple years. Often times, when he sees me in the halls, he'll greet me with a nod, or a smile or both, which is more than I can say for anyone else. And when he’s free, he often visits me in the kitchen and critiques my food for me. He usually sits on the counter and I feed him spoons of whatever it is I'm cooking that day. He's genuinely like a little child sometimes. Arthur and I have become rather close over the years. He allowed me to call him by his first name. He insisted, even. However, that will take some getting use to for me. Lately, I noticed that Arthur has not been acting like himself. He's been more silent and broody and hasn’t really left the castle except to perform his royal duties. So I decided to stay in the castle tonight to take care of him. “I feel at ease when you're around, Guinevere,” he said to me once. So now he had called me into his room to bring him some tea. He was sitting over the covers of his bed, his hands resting behind his head. I could feel his eyes on me as I made his tea. His gaze followed me wherever I went, which kind of gave me a chill. “Arthur, are you sure you don't want to get under the covers? Maybe that's why you're feeling sick,” I reasoned, only to break the silence. He just dismissed my questions of concern. “I feel fine, Gwen.” he said, drawing his eyes to the starry sky outside his window. I looked at him worriedly before bowing and starting to leave. Then I heard him get up so I turned around. “Anything else, Your Highness?” I asked, a little surprised at how close he was when I turned. “I keep telling you,” he slid his hands into his pockets, “just call me Arthur. I feel at ease when you're around. And formalities sound so strange coming from you.” He smiled slightly and moved closer. I looked up at him and found him gazing intently at my face. I watched as his eyes traveled further down my body and I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. I opened my mouth to say something to take his eyes away, “I apologize...is there anything else...Arthur?” I added. King Arthur spoke, “As a matter of fact…” he said, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me to his chest, “I wouldn't mind some company tonight.” He bent down and nuzzled my neck, breathing in my scent. Then his lips grazed the skin there as he prepared to sink his teeth in. “Oh!” I gasped in total disbelief. King Arthur is in heat! That's why he hasn't been himself! This couldn't be happening! I had heard stories about King Arthur claiming pretty servant girls, but I honestly didn't think those rumors were true until now. While the king certainly is entitled to claim whomever, I couldn't bring myself to let him mark me. I thought of Merlin. His heart surely would break if I came home to him, already claimed. And by the king, no less! Am I actually going to have to turn down the king?! As thoughts buzzed around in my head, King Arthur was getting closer and closer. Agh, there's no time to think this through! I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed that I would not be banished from the kingdom for what I was about to do next. The King did have a hell of a lot of pride. Nonetheless, I lightly pressed both hands against his chest. “M-m-m-my King! I mean, Arthur!” I stuttered and tried to pull away. I didn't get very far, though, as he was still grasping my upper arms. “Leaving so soon, Guinevere?” He chuckled lazily as his hands traveled down my back and his fingers traced the buttons of my dress. He moved in closer again and this time, I panicked. “Wait!” I yelled. “I don't want this!” There was silence. When I looked into his eyes, his utter shock from my rejection was so intense, I swore he could’ve woken the horses at this hour with his eyes alone. _“Now I’ve done it,”_ I thought, _“I’m banished for sure.”_ I started mentally saying my goodbyes to Camelot. But instead of a banishment, he simply let go of me and stayed silent. After a few moments, I hesitantly asked, “W-will that be all, my King?” He waved a hand for me to go and I quickly hurried out of the room back to the servants quarters.


	2. Bow to Your King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guin's mind is whilring over the close-shave of almost getting claimed by Arthur. But where does she go from here? Will she tell Merlin? And what will she do when Arthur catches her with another man?!

My head was spinning. Should I tell Merlin about what happened? No, it would just worry him and he's already stressed out over being the dragonlord and saving the world and whatnot. I don't even want to go to the castle today, what happens if I see Arthur? Will he be angry? Will he ignore me? I mean how often does a servant girl reject a king? The simple fact that an alpha king even took physical interest in an omega is considered a rarity and a blessing!

All these thoughts kept racing around in my head as I walked quickly through the halls of the castle until I bumped square into the firm chest of someone. I didn’t get a clear look at them before I felt them wrap their arms around my waist. I was so flustered that I panicked and yelled out, “No, don’t!” at the top of my lungs and shoved the man away. I took several steps back and clutched my chest, closing my eyes and placing one hand on the wall next to me for support. Then I heard a very confused voice speak out, “Guinevere! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you!” I looked up quickly. That sweet voice...it was Merlin! “Merlin!” I walked over and took his hand in apology, “I thought you were Arthur...forgive me.” He tried to look into my eyes but mine were frantic, constantly checking behind me. My hair was probably disheveled as well, for I hadn’t taken the time to brush it out this morning. “Arthur?” he asked, “Why are you so frightened of _ him  _ all of a sudden? Aren't you two good friends?”

“Well, yes...we are. I wasn't so much frightened as I was...surprised! That's all. He plans to play a joke on me, and I'm just on edge! Hahaha...ha. So sorry about pushing you, my love!” Merlin still looked confused, but by now he knows how strange I can be so he bought it. “Well, it’s alright, Gwen...but are you feeling well? You look...well, you look tired.” Merlin inquired. By this point I had caused such a spectacle that the servants in the hall with us had stopped what they were doing to look. It wasn’t private here. I grabbed Merlin’s hand again. “Come here,” I said, “I have something to tell you.” I led him out of the castle behind the stables where we could speak freely. The horses neighed softly beside us and the wind nudged at the trees. I looked into Merlin’s expectant eyes. I just felt so soothed when I was with him, and it was like everything became so much more...quiet around him. And it was this very feeling that discouraged me from even mentioning Arthur at all, like I had planned. How could I ruin this? I wanted to tell him so badly of what had happened last night, but now that we were alone together like this, all I wanted was to preserve this bond between us. I didn’t want to talk about another man. So when I opened my mouth to speak, I simply said, “we are almost never together like this anymore. It really is making me anxious. How about we sit by the lake today?” Merlin smiled. “Yes, that sounds lovely.” He took my hand, “I’ve missed your company as well.” He tilted my chin up, leaning in, his electric blue eyes turning soft like the sea. “And perhaps I’ll show you a bit of my  _ other  _ magic.” I took in a breath with mock-shock, “Merlin!” I chastised. He pressed his lips lightly to mine, and I reciprocated. We stayed like that for a moment, and when the kiss ended, I smiled and placed my forehead on his, enjoying the feeling of being close to him. Then suddenly we heard someone speak, “Hm.” Merlin quickly took his hands off my waist and I removed mine from his shoulders, and we turned to the voice. My heart nearly stopped right there and then because we both turned around to see King Arthur himself! He was simply leaning against a stable post with his arms folded as if he had been assessing us.  _ “Oh no,”  _ I thought. Arthur just continued to look at us with what seemed to be silent contempt. “What, the King doesn’t even get a proper greeting from his own servants anymore?” I bowed quickly, “M-my apologies, my King--I mean, Arthur. I don’t know where my mind was.” I glanced over at Merlin who still hadn’t bowed yet. See, Merlin and Arthur were also very familiar with each other. Merlin served him personally as well. And sometimes, Merlin really didn’t give Arthur the respect a king ought to receive. He never really liked Arthur to begin with and they would bicker all the time. This was bad. Merlin had no idea the delicate position he was in right now. And it was all my fault! “So, this is the bloke that must be courting you,” Arthur said, walking around Merlin in a circle, looking him up and down, “Merlin? Really? My manservant? Well, I guess it’s appropriate in a way,” he chuckled to himself. Merlin rolled his eyes. “Ugh, Arthur, what are you even doing here?” Arthur looked at Merlin in mock-surprise. “Well, _ I’m  _ here for my usual morning ride. The real question is why are  _ you _ , here, Merlin? Because as I recall, I seem to have told you that my horse should be ready every morning by the time I get down here. So you can imagine my irritability when I see no horse waiting at the front of the castle. And now I get down here to the stables to find...whatever this is.”

“So sorry about that, Your Excellence. But hey, now you know that it doesn't kill you to walk down here and get your own blasted horse, now does it?”

“Careful, Merlin. It may not kill  _ me _ , but I can certainly arrange for it to kill  _ you _ .”

“Why are you always such a clotpole?” Oh no, “Can’t you see we were having a moment?” Oh no. Arthur stopped pacing and looked directly at Merlin. “You dare speak to your king with such insolence?”

“Well, I’m not bowing down and kissing your feet, so I guess you could call it that.” That was the last straw. Arthur made a move for Merlin’s throat, but he ducked and stepped aside.

“What’s gotten into you? You’re acting a bit more brutish than normal,” Merlin continued.

“Stop it, you two! Please stop fighting at once!”

Both men turned to me, both their fists raised and ready to knock each other out. The situation was such a mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg, Arthur caught Merlivere in action, and he's jealous?? I have no idea what'll happen next! Thanks for reading! Please feel free to tell me what you think!


	3. He What?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Arthur's mini-freakout, Merlin starts questioning why he was acting so strange in the first place and welp, the cat's outta the bag! What on earth will Merlin do now? That crazy boy.

Merlin and Arthur were just about ready to duel one-on-one, but I couldn't just stand and watch anymore. I yelled as loud as I could, “Stop it, you two! Please stop fighting at once!” They both turned to look at me, and everything went quiet for a moment except for the soft neighs and clops of the horses. To my relief, Arthur put down his fist, but still, I almost immediately regretted intervening. Now Arthur was walking towards me with a dark, menacing glare. “And what say do you have in a matter between men, peasant girl?” he asked, venom coating his words. With each step he took, I stepped back, grabbing bunches of my skirt in my hands so he wouldn't see them tremble. Had I always been this afraid of Arthur? Or maybe it was my fear of Alphas altogether. Either way, Arthur approached me. “I...I--”

“You what, woman? Now’s your chance to speak up; you love doing  _ that  _ very much, apparently.” Arthur was acting completely different, as if we weren't good friends just yesterday. Was his pride this great? He stared down the bridge of his nose at me. Just then, Merlin spoke up. “Hey, what is with you, lad?” His eyes grew bright with anger, an indication that he was about to use magic, “get away from Guinevere before I--”

“Merlin! It's quite alright!” I ducked around Arthur and stood beside Merlin. “Don’t,” I whispered to him. His eyes slowly turned back to normal. Arthur kept his back to us for a moment, his shoulders hunched. Then he slowly--and I mean  _ slowly _ \--turned around. “I’ve had about enough of your insubordination for one day.” He grabbed the collar of Merlin’s shirt and yanked him forward, “You’ll be sleeping in the stables tonight since you love it here so much.” And with that, he shoved Merlin away and walked off. Merlin stumbled forward, but once he regained his balanced, he quickly turned around to glare at Arthur’s back until he was gone. Then he turned his attention to me, and I nearly jumped, still trying to figure out how I would explain this without having to lie. We stood there staring at each other for another solid ten seconds. Merlin had a confused and kind of exasperated expression on his face. He huffed as his adrenaline from his magic finally left him completely. I’m sure I looked shocked, myself. Merlin groaned and turned his back to me, putting his hands on his head. “What the hell was that?” he asked, “Can you believe that prick? I mean, he’s usually that rude to me, but...to you, as well! Whatever it is he’s got up his arse, he’s got no right to--”

“Merlin...about Arthur...there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.” Merlin stopped his pacing and turned to look at me. “I’m sorry I didn’t mention it earlier. It was the real reason why I took you down here, but I was too afraid…” Merlin slowly came closer until he was able to take my hands in his. “Gwen. What is it? Did something happen? You can tell me, you know?” I bit my lip. “It’s just that...you’ll be angry. Or perhaps you’ll do something rash that you’ll regret--”

“Guinevere, please. The longer you stall, the worse I start to imagine the situation is.”

“Merlin, I fear that...after I tell you, you wouldn’t want to be with me anymore.”

“I would never. I love you, Guinevere. And I swore an oath to protect you, remember? I have to know.” Looking into his pleading eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to lie to him. I squeezed my eyes shut and spoke in a quiet voice, “last night...while I was taking care of Arthur, something...strange happened. Something unsettling, rather. I was about to leave for the night when Arthur stopped me. And...before I knew what was happening, he was trying to...to mark me--”

“He what?!” Merlin practically squeaked. Merlin dropped my hands and tilted my chin to get a better look at my neck. I took his hands again to calm him. “Wait, wait! Before he could do anything, I stopped him!” Merlin sighed, “Oh…” and then realization suddenly hit him like a weighted sword. “You what?!” Merlin yelled. “And his pride could handle it? Well, clearly not, because just look at the scene he caused today. Made a spectacle of himself and everything. Wh-what did you say to him, Gwen?”

“I simply told him I didn’t want his Bite! Then he suddenly let me go, and I left. Oh, this whole morning I’ve been so afraid he would banish me, or take away my home in the village...and when he caught us here, I was so afraid he would hurt you!” Merlin stared at me. And then he was suddenly fuming. Without another word, he walked out of the stables, briskly headed in the direction of the castle. “Where are you going?” I said, jogging after him. “To have a little chat with the our King.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh, finally, a new chapter! Sorry the chapters have been coming out so few and far between. It was partly due to writer's block, and partly because I've been so busy/lazy. High school is tough, man! Also, don't get your hopes up too much because I'm about to go into first semester of senior year in a month so, things will be hectic, trying to get into college and all that. Please understand. Don't go away completely, though, because I still want to finish the story. ANYWAY, what did you think of this chapter?

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Don't forget to comment! I love reading what you all think!


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